Howls echoed surrounding this secluded area. Sounds of eeriness played in her ears as she approached a place where no one dared to do so...

The Purgatory...

One of the most dangerous places in Raftel. There is a sufficient reason why this was labeled as the Forbidden area. This place was sealed due to the strayed monsters residing in. There were dangerous beasts that belong to this area and these beasts were only released for one purpose: A War.

These beasts and monsters are only controlled by the High Princes and the Peacekeeper. No one can command them, they will not follow anyone. They will never take orders from anyone that do not hold power and authority.

Beyond the Purgatory is another prison cell that holds those who strayed and beyond salvation. Monsters who committed heinous crimes.

They will never hesitate to kill anyone who will dare trespass their territory, be it a Raftelian or human.

These facts were unknown to the human princess - Luffia. She followed her instincts and voice. Yes, that voice...

Seek us... Come... The voice resonated in her mind, engraving it deeper to her soul as if willing her to move forward and look for it.

"Why can I hear such voices? And what is this place?" Luffia looked around, not afraid of where she is. She was never afraid of indulging herself in unknown territory. She finds joy in exploring the unknown and when she heard the voice, whether it is genuine or not, she followed it. She felt the undying curiosity as to why she was called upon.

She continued forward, taking a random path. The previous incident about her sisters was soon pushed at the back of her mind. She was solely focused on the idea of being in an unknown place with nothing but a voice leading her on. She looked around and found no one in the vicinity. It was void of creatures and its emptiness only left hollow and eerie atmosphere that can strike fear to anyone.

But not to Luffia.

Its surrounding made her curios to a certain extent where it crossed her mind to continue exploring the place, and she followed that though. She continued to step forward.

Unknown to her, the area where she is exploring contains numerous creatures, hiding in the shadows, bidding their time.

"Curious, isn't it?" one creature in the shadows whispered to his companion.

"Intriguing is the right word for it. How come there is someone like her in this area?" Another one uttered, as this creature looked at the woman walking down a path towards the deeper parts of Purgatory.

"Should we chase her out?"

"Oh no! An unthinkable and not an option for us. There should be fun in chasing her in." The creature looked at his companion with a glint of mischief in his eyes.

"Yes... It should be an entertainment indeed..."

Rustles of grasses took Luffia's attention, snapping her head to look at her back...

Then...

"AAAHHHHHH!"

A loud screeching voice resonated around the Purgatory, alerting the two human princesses who crossed that forbidden boundary.

Wide-eyed, the twins looked at each other. Hearts beating frantically as they looked at the direction where the voice came from.

"Luffia!" They both shouted as loud as they can, hoping to reach the person they are looking for. They disregarded how their paths seem to be a bleak of nothingness, how eerie the mist around the area is, and even how pairs of red eyes stared at them - watching them run towards the path of unknown.

"Luffia! Where are you?!" No answer. Ann's breathing is quite unstable due to the distance they ran.

"We are getting nowhere here. We have to split and look for her." Sab suggested whilst looking around and heightening her hearing senses in case a shout from their youngest sister came.

"It is dangerous. We can't afford to lose each other in this unknown place. We'll take this route." Ann argued to her twin sister. No matter what, they cannot risk being lost. They do not have sufficient knowledge in navigating this place and even if the eldest princess refuses to admit, this place is not the safest for them.

"Fine. Let's go!" They embarked on a journey of unknown...

===XXX===XXX===XXX===

"Can you sense them?" An impatient voice asked the other High Prince. This voice belongs to the green-haired High Prince. This journey left him frustrated. Yes, they knew how to navigate this place, but they do not know where to look for them.

The main problem is not how huge the place is. Given their powers, they can cross the Purgatory itself with safety. What they are concerned about is the mere thought of those three humans currently missing and their whereabouts. There are places in the Purgatory that are far more dangerous. The depth of this place is wide and so as the creatures living inside.

"We will have to send out our thought to the guardians of this place and order them to find the three princesses at once!" Marco's voice is resolute. Zoro agreed that they must.

Before taking one more step forward, they sensed another presence approaching them.

'Your Highnesses.' It was none other than the Wolf Lord, Achilles.

"Did Kidd send you?" Zoro asks.

'No, he is battling against himself at the moment, which is why I am here to help on his behalf.' The two High Princes just nodded.

The two High Princes all closed their eyes, willing their thoughts to travel in the air in search of the creatures in this place. They spread their senses altogether, looking for the creatures who answers to them.

Zoro was able to find one. Velocidragon. They are wild dragons, snapping their jaws open to anyone who would dare approach it. To maintain the peace in Raftel, they have to sort the wild beasts to this place. Purgatory is a haven for creatures who would love to fight. This serves as an arena for them, gnawing their jaws at each other, fighting off the adrenaline in their veins.

Velocidragons are amongst the creatures who live in Purgatory. They are vile and ruthless but regardless, they still answer to their leader - Zoro.

"Your Highness. To what do I owe a visit for today? Are you here for a short exercise?" A growl of excitement emanated from the Velocidragon. Often, Zoro will visit the Purgatory to spar with the beasts using only his sword skills. Should this be any normal day, Zoro would have taken the opportunity to hone his sword skills. Unfortunately, there are pressing matters to attend to.

"I do not have time to chat and spar with you. I need you to find someone."

"Find someone? Who would that be?"

"Women. Three of them. They walked passed the boundary not too long ago. I need you to find them for me." Zoro said in a firm voice, commanding a terrifying beast.

"Women huh? Is that also the same reason why the other High Prince is present here in Purgatory?" the Velocidragon's voice held curiosity. It is not every day that the High Princes will visit the Purgatory just to find someone who went passed the boundaries. After all, the barrier is present to prevent anyone from walking past the gates. "They seemed to be important, aren't they?"

Zoro can only growl at the Velocidragon, threatening the creature and warning it that should his words go out of limits, the High Prince himself is not merciful enough to let it pass by.

Sensing the thinning patience of the High Prince, the Velocidragon did not dare to ask for more questions. It is not good for him to anger the High Prince.

"Very well, Your Highness. I will notify you at once. I will ask my kin to search for them. Would you be able to provide me their appearances?"

"They're humans. One blond-haired, two brunettes." Zoro immediately stated. The mere mention of the word human had the Velocidragon growl in hate and anger.

"Humans! They dared to venture our haven?!" His anger flared its surroundings and Zoro slightly regretted how he uttered that forbidden word. Creatures living in Purgatory harbor extreme hate towards humans. This is because almost all of the creatures present in this place originally live in Huidel, Verid, and Daerene - the Three Magical Kingdoms.

"They are human princesses of Cresta. You are not to harm them! It would be wise if you were to also warn your kin and any creature available in your vicinity not to harm them or else, the Kidd and Marco will bare their claws at your necks!" Zoro growled with threats to the Velocidragon to prove his point and it is true. Zoro cannot prevent the High Princes should they go berserk and slaughter anyone who will bring harm to the princesses.

"Is that also applies to you, your Highness? Do you also hold these humans as someone important?" The question struck Zoro.

Does he?

He did not answer. He held silence but in his mind, the question had him pondering for answers. He dared to imagine himself seeing the youngest princess in a bloody state, holding on to a little life she had.

The thought itself send Zoro to a rage.

"You will follow my words exactly as I told you!"

"I will follow as you command but let me speak my mind, Your Highness. There are creatures who crossed the *Chinvat Bridge*."

Zoro had frowned at what the Velocidragon said. Could it be those creatures he is thinking about?

"Hurry at once! Find them!"

Zoro cut the link from the Velocidragon's mind.

Like Zoro, Achilles and Marco also sent their senses towards the creatures who directly spoke to different creatures.

Achilles found a three-tailed wolf. Kidd may hold the highest authority amongst the beasts in Purgatory that belongs to Beogia, but Achilles can still command them. As long as he is stronger than the beast, they will obey Achilles who represents the High Prince of Beogia.

"Hoh~ The Wolf Lord has graced me his presence!" The three-tailed wolf named Hukka spoke.

"I do not have the patience to deal with your words, Hukka. Would you like to have me pin you to the ground with my claws in your stomach?" Achilles growled with threats that he would love to execute.

Achilles is known to be a king amongst wolves. Not just the wolves present in Beogia, but also all the wolves in Purgatory.

Hukka whimpered in fear with just a mere thought of the Wolf Lord ravishing him to death.

"Find three women. They walked past the barrier not too long ago. Two dark-haired and a blond one."

"Do you want me to kill them?" Upon hearing Hukka's words, Achilles' eyes turned redder than it already is.

"If you touch a single hair on them, you will have not only me but the three High Princes hunting you down even to the ends of Purgatory! And we will make sure that you will receive eternal punishment in Inferno!"

'Why would High Prince Kidd care for a woman? Don't tell me she is - ' Achilles did not answer, but the look in his eyes already delivered the answer Hukka needs.

Should they be harmed, the other High Princes will ensure that there is a justice delivered to anyone who will dare to hurt the human princesses.

"We should search separately. Send your thoughts mentally should any of you find them, yoi." Marco stated. He took random direction and spread his senses, trying to feel the presence of the three humans but due to the thick fog covering the area, hiding the human princesses' auras, they could not be clear of their location.

The three of them embarked on searching for them separately.

===XXX===XXX===XXX===

"AAAHHHHHH!" Luffia's voice echoed upon seeing the unexpected.

It was a bizarre sight, seeing such a creature right in front of her, staring with curiosity at her.

Such a shout from her is not due to impending danger, but rather due to her excitement.

"What is this creature?" Luffia stared at a huge three-headed dog. The body itself is bizarre with different colors.

One is of brown coloring, then bluish and there are also gray ones.

The creature looked warily at Luffia, eyes gleaming with curiosity as if asking itself if the creature in front of it is something edible. The creature's tongue licked its own mouth, coming to a conclusion that the woman in front of it can be an exotic food.

With innocence, Luffia's eyes gleamed, excited even.

"Rawr!" Luffia barked, startling the creature to back away. Laughing at the reaction, Luffia continued to bark like a dog, scaring the Cerberus. "Rawr! Rawr! Hahaha!" Hands-on her stomach, Luffia laughed wildly at the creature.

Unamused, the Cerberus growled threateningly at her, muscles ready to pounce on her but before the creature even have the chance to attack her - she did. She launched herself at the creature, hugging its neck tightly, almost choking it.

"I like you! Let's be friends!" She exclaimed whilst hugging the Cerberus not knowing that the creature she just hugged is a wild beast, capable of devouring her with a single bite.

The words she spoke surprised the Cerberus. After all, he is a creature of darkness, creature of evil, and ruthlessness yet the woman right in front of it is treating it unlike anyone else did before. Her words brought warmth in the creature's sturdy heart. Its three heads started to lick her in a friendly manner, making Luffia happy.

"Oh~ you like me too! Hahaha!" Luffia's laughter cannot be contained. Ever since young, she loved to make friends with everyone else. She has always been a carefree person. The Cerberus' three heads nodded at her, understanding her language, and despite it incapable of speaking common tongue, it held high intelligence capable of understanding it. "Good. Good Doggy. You will be my pet! Sab has Achilles as a pet yet I do not have one for myself but now, I have you. Isn't that great?" The Cerberus once again nodded happily at Luffia. It crouched a little, asking Luffia to ride on its back - an offer she never will never hesitate to accept.

"Alright! Move forward, Kebby!" With the command, the three-headed creature started to jog forward, journeying in the deeper parts of Purgatory. "Nah, nah, what is this place Kebby? Are there any other creatures here?"

The Cerberus whimpered in answer, which Luffia failed to understand. Eyes continued to survey around, ears heightening to its utmost limits in hopes of finding who is calling her.

She heard nothing but eerie silence and silent howls of creatures far from her. Her mount continued to move forward until they found themselves in front of a cave.

Come...

The voice once more echoed and Luffia is sure that the voice came from inside. As if on a trance, the human willed her mount to move forward towards the cave. Upon entering the cave, Luffia heard someone call upon her.

"Luffia!" It was Ann's voice. She asked Cerberus to stop. A frown appeared in her beautiful face as she once again heard her sister's voice calling for her.

"Where are you?!" it was Sab. Their voice echoed in a shaky manner almost pleading for her to show herself. Luffia battled confusing decisions in her mind. One is to ignore her sister's calling and the other one is to step away from the cave and welcome them.

A sigh escaped her lips. She dismounted from Cerberus and walked towards the entrance.

"Ann! Sab!" She shouted. "Over here!"

Upon hearing the familiar voice, the twins hastily run towards where it is coming from with the thought of their sister's safety. They arrived in a small clearing. The fog is as thick as it is when they entered the place and as they surveyed the area, they saw their sister waving casually right in front of a suspicious cave.

The two human princesses sighed a heavy relief when they saw their sister safe and sound. They stomped their way towards Luffia with worried expressions.

"Luffia! Why did you run off to this place?! Did you know how worried we were about you!" Ann chastised while sending a punch to her youngest sister's head.

"Ouch! why did you hit me?!"

"You deserved it! You almost worried us to death!" Sab shouted. Her eyes gleamed in relief that their sister is safe.

"Wha - it is your fault! You hid something from me! You did not tell me about our parents and you both dared to even believe they are dead!" Luffia shouted back in frustration and disappointment. She would never ever believe that their parents are dead! Never, unless there is a corpse in front of her, she will never believe it!

"We do not want to believe it and we are also hoping for them to stay alive. We cannot be so sure of what happened and we are trying to explain to you how we need to stay alive and get out of here to save our people!" Sab shouted at her with a mad frown.

Her voice was so loud that it created an echo in the cave, startling the Cerberus. The three-headed creature slowly stepped into the light illuminating the Purgatory - revealing itself as something that came from hell.

As soon as the twins saw the three-headed beast, they instantly jumped from their position, readying themselves to escape.

"Cerberus?! Luffia get away from it!" Ann shouted, hands already gripping her dagger whilst Sab held her pipe.

The youngest princess looked with such innocence at them wondering why they looked wary at Kebby. She turned her head to look at the three-headed beast then smiled at her sisters.

"This is Kebby. He is my pet!" As she uttered the words she did, she placed her hand on the creature's body with confidence. Such sight did not go well with the twins. Who would have thought that their youngest sister will treat a very dangerous beast as an animal?

No one expected that.

"Luffia, are you out of your mind?!" Ann exclaimed, still wary of the creature beside Luffia. Her mind cannot corroborate the mere fact of how this creature can be treated as a pet.

"I am not and I am serious about it. Why would you think I am just speaking nonsense?" Luffia wondered.

Because you are uttering nonsense!

Sab was about to utter words to contradict Luffia's but she forced herself not to. She wanted to calmly deal with the situation at hand when all of a sudden...

You have come as well... Seek us...

Sab shivered at the tone. The tone held authority, almost coaxing Sab to seek it, to look for it. Its voice is powerful enough to almost make Sab daze out. She heaved a breath out of her body.

Was she hearing things?

The answer to her questions is just right in front of her. As Sab looked at her sisters, she saw expressions indicating they have heard the strange voice as well.

"Wha- what is that voice? Who are you?!" Ann asked in confusion.

"That's the voice who's been calling at me!" Luffia exclaimed to them. Is that why she walked into this place? "It's coming from this cave! We should see who it is!"

"No! We can't - " before Ann could finish her protest, a loud thud was heard at their back, signaling the arrival of someone.

As they all looked towards the creatures right behind them, they saw gigantic Serpent with a head of a woman whose hair was full of snakes while the other creature has a beautiful face of a woman with spider lances at his back. (*Gorgon and Jorogumo*)

All three of them stared wide-eyed at the creatures baring evil intent towards them.

"Look what do we have here.~~" The gorgon creature hisses at the three humans. The Cerberus frowned at the two creatures. In his mind, he is asking why these creatures were able to cross the bridge.

"Beautiful maidens! Such a shame they are not men we can torture, but I supposed, being contained in the damnable prison for countless years with no one to victimized - I think they will do just fine. As an appetizer, that is." The beautiful woman with spider lances smiled beautifully at them. Her eyes were a beautiful dark shade, her skin is as pale as the snow and her lips were as red as an apple. A beautiful woman with evil intent.

"And here is also a useless guardian of Chinvat Bridge. How does it feel to have one of your prisoners escaped the place you are guarding, Cerberus?"

Cerberus growled, tensed at the words uttered. His sharp paws started to scratch the cold hard ground as if readying himself to pounce at any chance presented.

"Cerberus is not useless! He is my pet!" An angry shout originated from the youngest human who stood tall and confident right in front of the deadly creatures only seen in myths.

"Hahaha! A human such as yourself does not have any right to shout in front of me!" The Jorogumo's speed was unexpected. It ran straight towards Luffia, spider lances at her disposal. The twins reacted rather fast, defending their little sister using the weapons at their hands. Luffia, on the other hand, defended herself using her own pipe.

Three weapons defending their lives yet there are still 5 spider lances launching towards them.

Seeing the danger enclosing, Cerberus pounced at the Jorogumo as fast as he could but no matter how fast he reacted to protect the humans, Cerberus was not able to prevent two spider lances scratching the twins. Ann was hit on her shoulder blades, scratching all the way to her right arm, tearing her clothes. As for Sab, she was hit on her back, exposing a scratch which soon began to bleed.

The twins grunted and upon seeing the injuries, Luffia shouted for her sisters but it seems she does not have the luxury of thinking about the safety of her sisters as the danger is closing in. The Gorgon did not waste her time to attack the uninjured human, baring her claws towards her neck. Luffia was able to dodge at a hair's breadth but it was not enough to avoid any injuries at all.

Cerberus growled at the escapees.

"Shit! Run!" Ann shouted, forcing to grunt and whimper at the surge of pain coursing in her wound. Sab stood up and yanked Luffia's hand, bringing her along as they run for their lives. They saw no other option but to run towards the cave.

"Run! Run! Run little cowards! When I get to you, I will ensure to claw your heads from your pathetic bodies! It has been so long since I was able to torture anyone and you just presented yourself for it!" The three of them ran towards the cave, forcing their wobbling legs to run as fast as they could. As they enter the cave, the Gorgon followed suit, her shouting voice echoing in the cave itself.

"I will torture you to - " Before the Gorgon could finish her words, she was pinned to the ground with huge and sharp paws of Cerberus. Its mouth held the injured Jorogumo, trying to free herself from the grip of the Hell Guardian.

The three of them kept on running, cursing the creature chasing them. They forced themselves not to pay any mind to the words and they did not care about it. Little did they know that the Gorgon is not chasing them anymore. They kept on running in the dark cave until Sab noticed how there was no one chasing them anymore.

"Wait! No one's chasing us!" She stopped on her tracks and so the other two did. Breathless due to the long-running.

"I can't believe those creatures exist!" Ann exclaimed. They all moved towards a small hole which illuminates a small light for them.

"I wonder how Kebby is doing? Is he okay? Maybe he defeated those ugly women!" Luffia's thoughts were not far off.

"Ugh, my clothes are all ruined!" Sab muttered in disappointment. The wound at her back hurts but that is the least of her worries. They should all be thankful for staying alive.

"We need to fix our wounds then I think we should start to find a way how to get back. We could only hope that those creatures gave up their chase. Who could have thought that they are living in this place? How did you end up here anyway?" Ann looked towards her youngest sister while getting rid of her ruined shirt and instead used the torn off clothing as a temporary bandage to her own wounds. These actions do not help relieve the aching feeling but all she could do is to at least avoid bleeding too much and get an infection.

"I heard the voice telling me to seek them, to look for them. You heard it too before those creatures attacked us!" Luffia's curiosity had led her to where she is now. Deep inside her, she had a feeling that she should really seek whoever behind the voice is.

"Don't you think you were just enchanted for a trap? As soon as we heard that voice, those creatures appeared and attacked us." Sab argued. Like her twin sister, she took off her shirt, revealing a lacy undergarment to cover her chest. She ripped half of it to wipe the blood dripping from the shallow wound but the action is quite hard to do since the wound is located at her back. The wound stings, but they had worse when they were chased away from their palace.

"No! It is different! I was so far away from this place when I began hearing that voice. We have to look for it!" Luffia believed that she is not hallucinating nor walking into the trap. It felt different when she heard the voice.

"Luffia, before we go seeking that voice - and let me tell you that I am very much against it - we have to look for a way to go back." Ann said as she helped Sab wiping the blood off her back. Sab, on the other hand, helped her twin temporarily bandaging the wound in her shoulder blades towards her arm.

Luffia nodded and accepted their words. She might be unwilling but their words held sense. They have to look for a way to avoid dangers.

"Alright. We should go." Sab urged them to start walking. They did not want to risk going back and find the Gorgon and Jorogumo waiting for them. They had no choice but to move forward and the further they did, the more they find their hearts thumping in nervousness.

As they moved forward again, all of a sudden, the fire lamps started to light up startling the three of them out of their wits. The fire lamps had given them the light they needed but also, it provided suspicion at the twins.

"This is not a good idea. We should get back. If those creatures are not chasing us, they are most likely defeated by that three-headed dog." Ann suggested, stopping Luffia from walking forward.

"Yes, we should go back now." Sab agreed. The blond is curious about this cave, but she cannot let curiosity get ahead of her in favor of ignoring the danger.

The twins might be thinking of this, but the youngest is not. She freed herself from the hold of her eldest sister and started to run deeper in the caves while shouting at her sisters.

"No! Not going back until I see what is inside this mysterious cave!" She laughed wildly ignoring the protests of the twins and their indignant shouts.

"Luffia! Get back here young lady or I swear to all gods and goddesses - " Ann was not able to finish her sentence. Luffia's body has long been gone - swallowed by the darkness in the cave. The twins had no choice but to run after their youngest sister, disregarding their throbbing wounds in favor of chasing an immature sister.

The twins ran faster, catching the glimpse of Luffia's back which was stained with the small drops of blood from her scratched neck.

"Luffia, listen to us for once! We need to go back-aahhh!" Ann was not able to finish her words as before she could register what happened, she found herself falling to a deep hole.

"Ann!" Ann's sudden fall snapped Luffia from her running. She returned only to find Sab shouting for Ann's name in a hole. She stepped forward hastily, not caring for the surroundings and the path she is taking.

She failed to notice how she stepped on a rock that could possibly be a trap trigger. Instead of joining Sab, Luffia found herself falling to another hole.

"Ooops... I think I am faaaallllinggg..." Sab snapped her head towards Luffia in time to see the huge uncaring grin on her face as she uttered those words. The blonde princess stared wide-eyed as soon as she saw how a huge hole appeared beneath Luffia's feet. She immediately stood up in an attempt to reach for Luffia's hand - but unfortunately, that failed.

"Luffia!" Sab could only hear how Luffia's voice became farther and farther. Panic rose to her head as she stared at the two holes where the sisters fell. She was in the notion of choosing where to go first.

"I have to think of a way. There should be a way." Sab paced herself back and forth, trying to think of a solution to this problem. She mentally cursed her youngest sister for being stubborn and immature which deliberately caused this whole scenario.

Sab paused in her musings as soon as she heard the holes closing in. She began to panic and mentally berated herself for her incompetence. She was about to jump to follow Luffia but it appears that luxury is not available as before she could step towards the hole, it is closed and the next thing Sab remembers is how she found herself being swallowed by the caves then opening another hole beneath her feet. She had no time to find her bearings and she fell to the unknown place...

===XXX===XXX===XXX===

Achilles sniffed the air, looking for her scent. He found traces of it and the path where it leads him to is making him nervous. He knew this path. He knew how this path is rather dangerous.

He continued to run at full speed whilst spreading her divine sense looking for her. None. He found nothing. All he had is a small essence of her scent.

As he continued, he stumbled upon an unexpected creature. A creature that shouldn't have been there in the first place.

"Cerberus. As far as I know, you are not supposed to be here unless the portal to Chinvat Bridge has relocated here." Achilles sent the message to him. Cerberus cannot speak the human tongue, but he can speak to them mentally.

"My Lord. We apologize but these two have escaped. I am chasing them." Cerberus pointed at the two creatures tied with chains.

The Gorgon and Jorogumo.

Achilles wouldn't have cared for these escapees. A lot of evil and fallen creatures who were exiled on the other side of Purgatory tried to escape that damnable place. For decades, a lot of them have indeed crossed the Chinvat Bridge yet every single time they did, Cerberus will be chasing after them.

Achilles would have let them go back to that place had it not for the murky smell of blood that he noticed lingering around the two escapees. The scent of blood is familiar. Too familiar for him not to notice it. Almost instantly, Achilles' eyes turned murderous at the Jorogumo. In a second, he pulled the creature through its chains and held it high up the ground through its neck.

The action startled Cerberus and the Gorgon. They looked at Achilles with fear.

"My Lord, have mercy! I promise I will not be escaping again. I promise you that in the name of Xavaria - guhghh... "

"I don't care about your empty promises! Tell me, where is she? What have you done with her?!" Achilles' grip became tighter, choking the life out of the Jorogumo.

"I don't know what you are referring to, My Lord! I swear. "

"You reeked of her blood and yet you deny it?!" Achilles once again gripped its neck tighter. This made the Jorogumo realize who Achilles is referring to.

The three women who she attacked earlier on.

"They have escaped, My Lord. They are alive, I swear. They ran off to the Cave of Darkness." Achilles deemed her words true. He reluctantly let the creature go. It immediately crawled away from Achilles - fearing for its life.

"My Lord, were you referring to the three women who crossed the boundaries?" He did not answer the guardian's inquiry. He looked at the two creatures in front of him.

"You better pray they remain alive because if they are not, I will make sure you will be tortured for the rest of your eternal life. My wolves are hungry enough to feed on you whilst I ensure you will not die but rather stay alive to face it. And if by chance, something were to happen to them, you will face not only my eternal punishment but the wrath of the three High Princes as well. You will be wishing for a quick death! That is also applicable to you, Gorgon!"

Achilles left with haste. He immediately tried to contact the two High Princes. As soon as he conveyed his words, they all agreed to meet in front of the Cave of Darkness.

It did not take long for the three of them to be assembled right in front of the infamous cave.

"Such a worst time for the escapees to wander around." Zoro said frowning at the cave right in front of them.

This cave is magical, keeping whoever is inside in neverending darkness that is hard to escape. Trapping them and making them lose their mind. Only a few creatures can withstand its magic and amongst those creatures are the High Princes.

"Let's go. The more second we waste here, the more danger they are in, yoi." Marco rarely speaks in a grim manner but if he did, it only means that the situation is dire.

The three of them walked towards the cave, heightening their senses in search of the three humans.

As they continued, they smell their scents, getting stronger and stronger until the traces stopped right in front of three doors.

"I will take the far left." Zoro said. No one argued with him as they, too, have chosen doors on their own. Achilles took the middle while Marco took the far right.

"Please send me a word should any of you find them." Achilles said as he decided to walk in the door. They all took different ways in hopes of finding the three humans.

===XXX===XXX===XXX===

AN: You may or may not remember, but the original story had the three High Princes searching for them. This one, Kidd did not join. There's a reason why I changed that. One, he hates Sab for being human, so I am going to stick into that direction. It won't be good if he just gives in. So yeah...